The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
The School Term. Again.

The Ne,vberry Observer graEeIy chalScS ttt'
tie State Superintendent OF f.ductIion' i,s
his predecessor did delibcraleIy uiSresaias !,,s
one OF the duties required of him IN the Staic
Constitution viz: There shall nc kept Open
at lest six months in each year one or more
schools in each school district. The o'scf
"The Superintendent probably thinks. a.
each of his predecessors evidently thonght
that he knows better how thc schools Snouiu
be run than the trainers of the tonStitntion
and perhaps he does know better: But lha'
is not the question. The Constitution is man
datory on this point, and leaves no room Ioi
discretion This re9S1rem,en' isH sH it It shoM
be repealed; but until repeaie9' IL SnOu'u M u u, u.
obeyed. A public officer should OBEY all Jaw
more especially the organic law; ;.,,o,o,,o
Leaving out the question WneLner the tpoNe
onoted paragraph OF the State Constitution u
mandatory or merely directory, 1t Is pam
that it connot operate upon any executive
officer. 1t is in the nature ol leSlsiatloil, ius
ged into the Constitution to show the zeal o.
Its trainers in the cause of its popular cduca'
tion But, as legislative enactment II can
not have force unless IL is recoShl"eu ny 'he
General Assembly. c.,,,,,
No duty is enjoined upon any State or coun
ty officsr-the provision thus diIerlhg eSIS!,.
TALLY from the regular twom,1i M !aNs lin
made one Of the duties OF the louiltt corit OH
missioners. The levy made, the statues pro,
vdes the machinery to enI%rSr Tr,s con cope
il, Now. If the Superintendent is required, Dy
n mandate of the Constitution, to run the
schools six months in each year, anu II ne Is
neglecting that duty. the may compel per-
formance. We should like to see some en-
thusiastic advocate of long schooi-terms
stretched by means of starvation salaries tS
teaeher test the queSSiGbb dsrcsar
one of the duties required of him in the S'ate
Constitution. "-Colun,bia Record.
The Records position or statements may be
good law, or it may be merely "chimney cor
ner" law But plain common sense people
will find it hard to see why one part OF the
Constitution is not binding while another Is
of full force The trainers of the Constitution
clearly laid down the law. The question Is
will the State officers-under the influence ol
the State and county organizations whose
main object seems to be to get the puohc
money for the least labor-set aside the law
The mandate which requires one or more
schools to be kept open in each school dlstflct
NAV furnish q pretext to those officers who
NAV be under the influence OF, and working
for the benefit of the teachers and the town
schools to shut up al. country schools. OF
one thing the Record and the teachers may
rest assured, that the people intend to elect
school officers who have at heart the interests
Of the children, and who are not the willing
tools of the teachers and town schools. The
school fund is for the benefit of the children
and is not intended as bounty to any man
or woman who may be able to stand an exam
ination before the School Board. We think II
about time that the teachers were working to
earn their living. They have no right to be
pensioners from the public treasury. If the
people will not pay them their fancy prlce
then let them 60 at any work which is more
profitable. The people OF Abbeville county at
least, can excuse all such as not satisfied with
the money which they and the public are
willing and able to pay.
The people as rule, want to cut down offi'
cial salaries, but the organization, or teachers
unions,- -misnamed teachers insttutes-would
raise the salary of the great army Of teachers
At present we believe the teachers unions
constitute the only organized raiders on the
public treasury.